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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24533950">take my breath away</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblehyuck/pseuds/bubblehyuck'>bubblehyuck</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>NCT (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Babysitters, Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Cute, Drowning, M/M, Mark Lee (NCT)-centric, Meet-Cute, fear of water, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:09:00</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,515</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24533950</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/bubblehyuck/pseuds/bubblehyuck</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He turned to the patch of grass behind his chair, and, <em>oh</em>, maybe Mark was wrong about the lack of hot boys. </p>
<p>The one jogging toward him now was attractive. Incredibly so. Tanned with light brown hair brushing his forehead, at least a few years older than Mark, dressed in a white t-shirt and red shorts adorned with the classic logo. <em>Lifeguard</em>.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Mark Lee/Moon Taeil</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>72</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>take my breath away</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>omg it's my first time writing markil!!!! two members of the maknae line of 127 :0)</p>
<p>****PLEASE MAKE NOTE****<br/>there is fear of swimming and ***there are descriptions of drowning at the end!!*** if these are sensitive topics to you,, please be careful &lt;3</p>
<p>okay pls enjoy!!!! :D &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Mark shifted uncomfortably, legs criss cross applesauce and shoved under a tiny plastic table—the princess dress was starting to get a bit itchy and the plastic tiara was squeezing his head. (His skull was a normal size. The children’s tiara was the problem, that’s all.)</p>
<p>He made sure to stick his pinky up as he brought a Barbie pink teacup up to his mouth, making a sipping noise.</p>
<p>“Mmm, this tea is <em>delightfully scrumptious.</em>”</p>
<p>And maybe his posh accent needed a little bit more work, because the seven year old girl he was babysitting sat unimpressed, setting her own cup down with satin-gloved hands and a sigh. </p>
<p>“I’m really bored, Clark.”</p>
<p>“For the last time, it’s <em>Mark</em>,” he ripped off his clip-on earrings and began fussing with the velcro that secured the back of his dress. “What do you want to do then?”</p>
<p>Gracie stood up, running in a circle before flopping onto her purple sparkly bean bag. She yelled out a grunt fit for someone with lungs at least twice the volume of hers, arms lifting up stiffly into the air before falling back down lifelessly, engulfed in the cushion. Children were weird. </p>
<p>Mark thought back to what the mom had said before she left for work that morning. There was frozen pizza he could make for lunch, don’t forget to feed the cat at 3, I’ll be back at 5…and the neighborhood pool was just around the block if they wanted to go. <em>Don’t! Forget! Sunscreen!</em></p>
<p>Mark’s brain lit up with the memory, eyes widening in relief to have found something to occupy the child with, before putting on a cool expression.</p>
<p>“Gracie.”</p>
<p>“Huh?”</p>
<p>“Do you want to go swimming?”</p>
<p>A curious head of curls popped up from the polyester case of plastic beads. “Oh?”</p>
<p>Mark nodded. “Your mom said we could go.”</p>
<p>Gracie eyed him suspiciously. The lack of an initial scramble for her neon pink swimsuit and matching goggles was a bit concerning.</p>
<p>Mark hadn’t realized that a kid could not want to go to the pool. What kind of kid doesn’t want to go to the pool? A psychotic one. Although, with the way their morning was going, Mark wouldn’t put it past her to deny going swimming out of spite.</p>
<p>Gracie contemplated for a few more moments before sitting up decidedly. “Okay, but you have to make me fishsticks first.”</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>Mark hadn’t brought his swimsuit, so he sat in a lounge chair near the shallow end reading some magazine he’d found at Gracie’s house about gardening, occasionally looking up when he was called to watch his responsibility do a handstand or a flip.</p>
<p>The pool wasn’t too busy, just a couple groups of kids splashing around and their moms gossiping with one another while lathered in far too much suntan lotion. No hot boys in sight. Mark had managed to find a shady spot, not unbearably sunny, and a decent way to relax for a nice period of time as Gracie blew water out of a pool noodle, or whatever it was that kids did these days. </p>
<p>He was staring at an article about bird baths, eyes unfocused, thinking about wearing Chacos tomorrow so he could start working on his tan, when out of fucking nowhere an inflated beach ball hit him right on top of the head. </p>
<p>Mark jostled and flailed in his chair, catching the ball, eyes glaring at the probable culprit of his temporary child, screeching, “what the hell, man?!”</p>
<p>Moms around him scowled for the choice of language. Gracie shrugged. “Wasn’t me!”</p>
<p>He glanced around at who could’ve bonked him and interrupted his leisure, when a raised voice appeared behind him, “I’m so sorry!” </p>
<p>He turned to the patch of grass behind his chair, and, <em>oh</em>, maybe Mark was wrong about the lack of hot boys. </p>
<p>The one jogging toward him now was attractive. Incredibly so. Tanned with light brown hair brushing his forehead, at least a few years older than Mark, dressed in a white t-shirt and red shorts adorned with the classic logo. <em>Lifeguard</em>. </p>
<p>His smile was bright white, legs athletic and built, and Mark had trouble looking back up into the lifeguard's eyes.</p>
<p>“My coworkers threw that over here, I apologize.”</p>
<p>Mark blinked. Mark gaped. The newly discovered greatest gift of summer was speaking to him. Standing only feet away, droplets of water still clinging to his skin and an almost melodic voice. One so sweet it couldn’t possibly yell at children for running by the pool. </p>
<p>“Could we, uhm…have it back?” The lifeguard kept a smile on his face, only wearing slightly at Mark’s frozen composure and inability to comply. “I’m really sorry, won’t happen again.”</p>
<p>Mark came to his senses as quickly as possible, finally able to force out a, “it’s cool, here you go,” handing off the pinstriped mockery of his panicked gay tragedy, immediately turning around and whipping open the magazine to cover his blushing face. </p>
<p>“Thanks!” The lifeguard called out, running back over to his coworkers.</p>
<p>“God, you’re a loser.” Gracie offered, chin deep in the 3’6” section.</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>Mark came prepared the next day. Goldfish in 2 ziplock bags, Gracie’s hair tied in pigtails, his blue swim trunks packed in their pool bag. </p>
<p>“We’re just here because you have a crush on that lifeguard boy!” Gracie stopped outside the entry gate of the pool, arms crossed and giving her most skeptical, taunting look. </p>
<p>Mark rolled his eyes, “No, we’re here so you can swim and have fun.”</p>
<p>It took a pointed expression and head tilt toward the pool before she gave up her protest, flip flops tapping their path on the hot concrete as they set their belongings down and Mark got out the spray sunscreen. </p>
<p>“If you were a good babysitter you’d swim with me!”</p>
<p>“That’ll mess up my hair. No.”</p>
<p>She turned so Mark could spray the backs of her arms. “So you <em>do</em> care about what the lifeguard thinks about you!”</p>
<p>Mark lightly shoved her toward the water, angrily whispering, “<em>not so loud!</em>” being let off the hook, but not without a knowing gaze from his liability sent his way. </p>
<p>Sparing a glance up at the lifeguard stand, Mark was able to notice the lifeguard from yesterday on duty, surveying the water and seemingly humming along to the music playing over the speakers. Within a few seconds of a kid diving off the edge, the lifeguard blew a sharp whistle and told them off with a warning. </p>
<p>
  <em>I wish he’d blow m—</em>
</p>
<p>“MARK!!” </p>
<p>He annoyedly looked down toward Gracie. “What.”</p>
<p>“Watch! I can swim like a mermaid!”</p>
<p>He set his magazine down with a huff, sitting up to observe the aquatic feat. Before Mark could begin to deny their existence, he was watching a surprisingly good mermaid impression, clapping when it was over and allowing Gracie to take some gulps of air before asking what her mermaid name was. Just formalities.</p>
<p>But Gracie wasn’t looking at Mark, she was looking over his shoulder. Her expression began as something of shock, before morphing into joy and then pure, pure, evil. And when he finally turned around, there stood beautiful lifeguard boy.</p>
<p>His head blocked the sun out of Mark’s eyes, so he had a direct view of the older boy’s face smiling politely down at him in his pool chair. </p>
<p>“You’re who I hit with the beach ball yesterday!” The lifeguard bounced on his heels a little bit, as if he couldn’t get any cuter. </p>
<p>Mark squinted. “I thought it was your coworkers.”</p>
<p>Lifeguard boy laughed awkwardly, turning his gaze away bashfully, shadow moving and allowing a beam of sunlight to shine into Mark’s eye. Lest their conversation continue and Mark dig himself into a deeper and deeper hole, a shout from the lifeguards shed interrupted their introduction. </p>
<p>“<em>Taeil!</em>” Someone shouted, “Clock out already or I’ll fire you!”</p>
<p>Lifeguard boy—Taeil—returned his gaze to Mark. “Well, I’ll see you around!”</p>
<p>“Mhm,” Mark’s voice caught in his throat as he realized how utterly awful he must’ve been coming across. Taeil just turned and jogged away, hot as ever, leaving Mark with his demon child and half-melted popsicle in his bag. </p>
<p>He watched the lifeguard move away this time. Although hard to believe, the ass could very well be better than the thighs. Mark was an ass man. And Mark was a newly declared Taeil’s ass man. </p>
<p>“Mark!!”</p>
<p>He just hummed, eyes trained on the door of the employees’ building even after Taeil already entered inside. </p>
<p>A freezing cold, slippery child arm grabbed hold of his, “ARE YOU IN LOVE?!!” Gracie yelled into Mark’s ear. </p>
<p>He took a deep breath. “That’s not how it works.”</p>
<p>“But you <em>wish</em> you were in love.”</p>
<p>“That’s not what I said.”</p>
<p>“MARK AND THE LIFEGUARD SITTING IN A TREE—”</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>It was rainy. </p>
<p>Mark meticulously adjusted the direction of the red dashed line with his Wii remote, aiming the bowling ball perfectly at the pins for yet another strike. “And the master wins yet again.”</p>
<p>Gracie angrily shoved her hand into a bowl of popcorn. “That’s not fair!”</p>
<p>“It’s totally fair.”</p>
<p>Unfortunately, video games can only entertain a child for so long. Mark made dinosaur chicken nuggets for lunch, Gracie judged him for refusing to dip his in ketchup, and they were stuck inside with a summer afternoon storm raging outside.</p>
<p>Mark had made it almost an entire month of babysitting Gracie four days a week, and they made a point to go to the pool on most of them. For what it was worth, Gracie enjoyed swimming, and Mark enjoyed lounging. And the view. </p>
<p>Mark had a crush on his favorite lifeguard. He wasn’t afraid to admit it, Gracie teased him constantly for it, but Taeil was…neutral if not oblivious, so it seemed. He smiled at Mark every time they saw each other, and didn’t waver if he caught Mark’s gaze on his legs as he applied more sunscreen.</p>
<p>Mark’s eyes created patterns in the textured ceiling of Gracie’s living room before she pulled him from his wallowing. “Let’s go somewhere!”</p>
<p>He only turned his head toward her and raised an eyebrow. “Where do you think we’re going in this storm?”</p>
<p>“The pool.”</p>
<p>Mark shut his eyes. “I told you, it’s closed anyway. Too much lightning, it’s dangerous.”</p>
<p>But if he had learned anything about his part time child in these few weeks, it was that she argued like a motherfucker.</p>
<p>“It doesn’t have to be open for us to go!”</p>
<p>“Who taught you this?! We’re not going to the pool.”</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“There’s no lifeguards there to keep you safe.”</p>
<p>This one stumped her for a moment. Gracie seemed to go through a few hundred calculations in her head, cautiously eyeing Mark and analyzing her next strategic move. “You could just jump in and save me!”</p>
<p>And here it was, the moment Mark was dreading.</p>
<p>He doesn’t know how it took so long to come up. Gracie never said anything when he refrained from getting in the pool with her farther than sitting on the ledge and letting his legs dangle in the water. She’d climb on them and he’d lift her up, a work out and playing all in one. But never once had Mark gotten entirely in the water. </p>
<p>“I, uh…” He scratched his neck sheepishly and cleared his throat. “I don’t exactly…” the last part came out as a whisper, “<em>know how to swim…</em>”</p>
<p>Gracie’s eyes widened. “You…you don’t…”</p>
<p>Mark shook his head. “Never learned. By the time I actually wanted to get in the deep end or swim in the ocean, I was too old to take lessons. It just never happened.”</p>
<p>He, honest to god, thought Gracie was about to cry. Her eyes were shiny and she crawled on the couch over to him to ensure eye contact.</p>
<p>“Mark, this is perfect!”</p>
<p>“...excuse me?”</p>
<p>“You can’t swim!”</p>
<p>“Yes, that’s what I just said.”</p>
<p>Gracie grabbed his face with her tiny hands. “Mark. You’re gonna get Taeil to teach you how to swim.”</p>
<p>Mark stared at her. “No I’m not.”</p>
<p>“Yes you <em>are!</em> Mark, if I have to watch you make googly eyes at this boy all summer, I’ll rip my hair out!” </p>
<p>She was always one for dramatics. Mark sighed.</p>
<p>Gracie continued. “The next day that it’s sunny, we’re marching down there and <em>getting you your mans!</em>” She prodded his chest with her pointer finger to emphasize each word. </p>
<p>Mark cracked a smile—the effort was cute enough. And if a seven year old girl who was better at swimming than he was happened to be his wingman? He minded nothing about it.</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>By the next week, Gracie had drawn out a plan. It was in blue crayon and had unicorn stickers around the border, and the title in sparkly gel pen read: <em>JUMP OFF THE DEEP END: GET MARK A BOYFRIEND</em></p>
<p>Mark held it at arm’s length, squinting past the sequins. </p>
<p>“Whoah,” he deciphered the mediocre handwriting, “I am not gonna drown.”</p>
<p>Gracie huffed. “Of course you’re not. You’re gonna <em>pretend</em> to drown. There’s a difference.”</p>
<p>“And this will help me how?”</p>
<p>“By getting him to notice you, obviously! Haven’t you ever watched <em>The Sandlot?</em> It’s classic.”</p>
<p>“According to who?”</p>
<p>“According to me.”</p>
<p>Mark set down the paper on the table and ran a contemplative hand through his hair. </p>
<p>“Just trust me, Mark. When have I ever led you wrong?”</p>
<p>He frowned. “That time you told me you saw a fairy outside and then locked the door behind me when I went to look.” Gracie had the pretense to look a tad bit guilty. “And you wouldn’t let me back in until I sang a song about you.”</p>
<p>“Point taken.”</p>
<p>He’d dropped the subject that day, thankfully, and thought that was the end of it. </p>
<p>Yet, somehow, Mark was still coerced into standing on the front of the diving board at the deep end. Standing, not jumping. He swore a little kid at the other end was making chicken noises.</p>
<p>He barely had been given time to take his shoes and shirt off before he was shoved toward the evil slab of blue plastic, taunting in every way. The person in front of him even did a backflip, to further press in the reality—to really make him hurt while he’s at it. </p>
<p>He stood at the edge, hovering over the water, but refusing to face the expanse of pool. Mark was frozen, staring at Gracie who motioned <em>hurry up!</em> as she watched from the concrete.</p>
<p>But Mark couldn’t do it. He just couldn’t.</p>
<p>He showered all the time. When his aunt took him into the Lush at the mall a few years ago he had even ended up taking a bath and exiting in a very glittery state. But for whatever reason, his body would not let him jump into the pool. It was a fear he didn’t know he even had until he was put in a position to face it. And it was terrifying.</p>
<p>Maybe it was the knowledge that he wouldn’t be able to touch the ground once he was in there. That he had never tread water before, or knew what it felt like to open his eyes under chlorinated water. Would he be able to find the wall if he needed to get out? Why was this so scary, he spent time around this pool every day!</p>
<p>A loud whistle pulled Mark from his trance, head moving quickly from staring at his feet up to the lifeguard stand. </p>
<p>“Jump or walk back to the ground, man!” A very <em>not Taeil</em> voice yelled. </p>
<p>Mark scrambled back to the concrete and whisper-yelled at Gracie. “<em>Holy shhh...shoot dude! Oh my god! Taeil isn’t even here, oh my god, WHY DIDN’T WE EVEN LOOK?</em>” His hands were shaking as the kid pulled him back to their pool chairs. “Oh my god.”</p>
<p>Once he was seated and wrapped in a towel, he looked back over to the stand. Definitely not Taeil. He was pretty sure the guy’s name was Doyoung or something, Taeil had told him about his coworkers a few times. </p>
<p>“Um…so maybe that was a bad idea.”</p>
<p>Mark looked at her with wide eyes. “You think so?”</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>Taeil must’ve gone on vacation for a week, because each time Mark and Gracie returned to the neighborhood pool, he was nowhere to be seen. Despite his traumatic diving board experience, Mark was a great babysitter, and kept allowing them to take an afternoon stroll to the mermaid arena or gymnastics competition or whatever imaginary place the pool would be that day.</p>
<p>Gracie had even offered to discontinue their pool trips, kind as she was, but Mark didn’t see a problem with it. He just really, really didn’t want to go in. Sitting to the side was fine.</p>
<p>Finally, a fateful day arrived when it wasn’t too hot or too cold, the perfect amount of cloud cover for a pleasant day of swimming. Mark packed turkey and cheese sandwiches for a snack (you weren’t supposed to eat by the pool, but Taeil let them off the hook) and they sauntered over, making sure to hold hands when they crossed the street.</p>
<p>Something was different when they arrived, though—atop the lifeguard’s stand sat a friendly smiling face: Taeil was back!</p>
<p>Mark returned the grin, waving and grabbing Gracie’s wrist to forcibly shake it into a giggly wave as well. He had missed the older, absent for a short period of time for whatever reason, but it was always good to see Taeil’s face. And hands. And everything else. Mark internally high-fived himself for not immediately blushing at the mere sight of his crush.</p>
<p>Once Gracie was thoroughly sunscreened, Mark decided to walk over to where Taeil was perched. It was his job to watch the water, but he could chat for a little bit without getting too distracted. Not many people were there, afterall. Mark took a stabilizing breath before he began his walk over to the opposite edge of the pool. </p>
<p>But, what he didn’t notice was the gigantic bottle of someone’s suntan oil, toppled over and leaking onto the cement, haphazard and entirely trip-worthy. And right in his path.</p>
<p>He didn’t realize he was falling until it was too late.</p>
<p>Split seconds before he hit the water with a crash, he swore he heard a voice yelling, “Help! He can’t swim!” but the water muffled his ears before he got the chance to call out for himself.</p>
<p>He felt weightless and as heavy as he ever had all at once. He was sinking and he was floating, hair swishing against his face and pressure building in his ears as his body was pulled downward.</p>
<p>He wished he had taken a breath at the last minute, it would’ve given him more time to make a decision, to spring into action. He wished he had been watching his feet, that he hadn’t slipped at all. But most of all he wished he wasn’t paralyzed with fear, cool water rushing around him and eyes squeezed shut.</p>
<p>Mark could only feel himself falling deeper and deeper, brain gone blank in terror and the desperate scream of his lungs before his mouth filled with water and head hit the floor of the pool with a painful <em>thunk</em>. And all was black.</p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>His ears sounded fuzzy and there was an awful taste in his mouth. Mark hadn’t even fully regained his vision when he forced his eyelids to flutter open, seperate images beginning to focus into one.</p>
<p>The only thing he could register was a pair of the sweetest eyes he’d ever seen incredibly close to his face, before he turned and instantly started violently hacking up water. It still took him a few moments to manage his breathing back to normal. </p>
<p>Mark turned his head back up to Taeil, who looked down at him with relief and understanding. His voice was super hoarse as he spoke.</p>
<p>“Ew.”</p>
<p>Taeil laughed. “Yeah.”</p>
<p>He took a broken breath in through his nose. “Did you have to give me mouth-to-mouth?”</p>
<p>“I did.”</p>
<p>Mark passed out again. </p>
<p>~~~</p>
<p>They went for milkshakes that afternoon. It only seemed right after Mark’s narrow escape that he be rewarded with strawberry ice cream. </p>
<p>Try as he might, Mark’s flirt with death didn’t improve his actual flirting skills at all—only a handful of bashful glances sent Taeil’s way. The lifeguard found his time better suited to make faces at the seven year old in the chair across his, who laughed loudly, spraying chocolate milkshake on the table. </p>
<p>“Why do I care for you each day? You’re disgusting.”</p>
<p>“You love it.”</p>
<p>Now Taeil was the one to laugh in surprise at their dynamic. </p>
<p>“You know, Mark,” he began, capturing Mark’s attention from where the younger was focused on wiping Gracie’s face with a napkin. “I could give you swimming lessons. If you’d like.”</p>
<p>Mark looked across the table at his dream boy smiling sweetly at him, at a loss for words at his compassion and generosity.</p>
<p>“He says yes.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>yay that was fun to write!!!!! even though it's hyuckil month omg im so sorry haechan...he's totally mad that i wrote this.</p>
<p>thanks to sol for loving markil and heping me title this !!<br/>thanks to gabby for reading it over for me!!! u rock<br/>YAY i hope you enjoyed it!!! have a good day!!!! or night or whenever!!!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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